I work solo on most construction sites so most of the time carpooling would not be possible. I guess my best option would be to just leave my car at work, my main concern is safety of my car but my office has cameras outside to watch over the parking lot for their own work vehicles so my car should also be okay.
I see you are from Toronto, I live near Toronto so we have to deal with similar conditions in wintertime, how do you deal with the days where it is just dangerous to bike (e.g. freezing rain, massive snowfall the night before and all bike lanes and sidewalks are covered, etc)? Lately I have just been driving to the office on days where biking seems too dangerous, which is another reason why I am hesitant to leave my car at work, so maybe I will just take this strategy in the summertime.
Thanks!
I don't cycle in freezing rain, but there are typically only 1 or 2 days a year where we get freezing rain so that's not a big sacrifice.
I don't cycle on the sidewalk, it's much more dangerous than being on the road. It took being hit by cars twice on the sidewalk to realize that. You move faster than a pedestrian, and cars aren't looking far enough up the sidewalk when they turn into/off of side streets, parking lot entrances, and driveways. It feels more dangerous on the road, but it's actually safer because the vehicles can see you.
After snowfall I stay out of the bike lanes (not only do they not get cleared of snow, but usually the plows will pile mini-snowbanks in the lanes at random and they are often covered with ice. The roads in Toronto are always salted, and occasionally plowed. You get best traction by staying in the ruts formed by car tires in the roadway (and most busy roads will have the snow crushed down and knocked away by cars and trucks in a short period of time.
Doing the above, route choice and knowledge is very important. Getting to know where traffic is lightest, what routes get plowed first, where there are stop signs at the bottom of a hill (gotta start braking early in the winter), and where big potholes are makes your cycling life a lot easier.
General winter commuting tips:
- Run tons of lights and reflective stuff. Especially when visibility is shitty (snowstorm, dark in the morning/at night) this is very important. My current setup is four of these lights on my backpack (
https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5006-706/Turtle-Red-LED-Light?gclid=CjwKCAiA1uHSBRBUEiwAkBCtzTnMcxUgjb763RNavuixgwJ2vfmqG9kfVsAlSF00h1e-kk7MIKgBdRoC5UcQAvD_BwE) set to blinking mode, and this front/rear light running solid (
https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5050-159/Blaze-140SL-Superflash-Turbo-Light-Set. I've just started using one of these lighted arm bands on my signalling arm as well:
https://www.amazon.com/Higo-Armband-Running-Bracelets-Package/dp/B016W0L0ZA. It seems like ridiculous overkill, but I've done some tests looking out of our car windscreen and it's very, very visible.
- Reduce tire pressure. I run 10 - 15 psi lower pressure front and rear if conditions are greasy on the roads. This will give you better grip (and a softer ride).
- Learn how your bike handles on snow/ice before you commute in it. I spent a couple weekends several years ago taking my bike to an empty parking lot to figure out how it would handle. You can ride just fine on ice, but if you try to turn or use the front brake you'll probably wipe out. Your rear wheel will slide around an awful lot in deep snow, but it's controllable.
- I'm a big fan of using studded flat pedals for the winter. You can wear heavy winter boots if needed, you can get your feet off of them fast if you start slipping, and your shoes won't slide off even if they're snow covered.